Damon sat in his car outside the police station, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and a small smile on his face.The visit with Vanessa had left him with a quiet satisfaction, seeing his mother’s killer behind bars meant everything to him.He pulled out his phone and scrolled to Anthony's contact, pressing the call button, Anthony answered immediately."Damon? How did it go with Vanessa?""About as expected," Damon replied. "She's still delusional, still thinks she's going to get out of this somehow. But that's not why I'm calling.""What do you need?""I've made a decision about my father," Damon said slowly. "I'm going to save him."There was a pause on the other end, then Anthony's voice came through, warm with approval. "I'm glad, really glad.""You were right about what my mother would want," Damon admitted. "She wouldn't want me to become heartless. And honestly, keeping Edward alive to face the consequences of his actions is more fitting than letting him die and escape in

Vivienne felt her chest tighten with panic as she looked around the room at her family members. They were all staring at her with that same judging expression, the one that said they'd already decided her future without caring what she wanted."I said no," Vivienne repeated, her voice firmer this time. "I'm not going to pursue Damon Sterling for business purposes. He's my friend, and I won't use him like that."Her father crossed his arms over his chest. "You say he's your friend, but I'm hearing something else in your voice. Something more than friendship."Vivienne felt heat rising to her cheeks and immediately looked away. She'd been so careful to hide her feelings for Damon, to never let anyone see how much he meant to her beyond simple friendship."I don't know what you're talking about," she said, but even she could hear how unconvincing the words sounded."Oh my god," her cousin Sarah said from the doorway, her eyes widening with realization. "You have feelings for him. You're

Damon's car screeched to a halt at the riverside park entrance. He jumped out and started running through the parking lot, his eyes scanning every corner for any sign of Celia or her parents.The park was mostly empty at this hour, with only a few scattered lights illuminating the walking paths. Damon moved quickly along the main trail, looking for anything that might tell him what had happened here."Celia!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the dark water. "Celia, are you here?"No answer came back except the sound of wind rustling through the trees.Damon continued searching, checking behind benches and looking into the shadowy areas where someone might be hiding or hurt. His heart pounded in his chest as terrible possibilities ran through his mind.A figure appeared on the path ahead, an elderly man walking a small dog. Damon ran toward him immediately."Excuse me," Damon said, slightly out of breath. "Were you here about an hour ago? Did you see a young woman, mid-twenties, da

Serena walked around the three terrified people huddled together on the cold concrete floor. Her smile grew wider with each passing moment as she watched them shake with fear, when Celia suddenly spoke up. “The baby isn’t Damon’s, Selene. You want to kill us because of a baby that isn’t his. Please, don’t do this. Damon wouldn’t want you no matter what you do. The baby isn’t his—Damon isn’t stupid,” Celia said desperately. “You know it isn’t. You’ve been with Michael for months.” Serena's hand shot out and slapped Celia hard across the face. The sound echoed through the empty building. "Don't you dare tell me whose baby this is," Serena hissed. "I already told you, I decide who the father is. And I've decided it's Damon Sterling. That makes this child worth millions, maybe billions. Your opinion doesn't matter because you'll be dead." Mrs. Greene pulled Celia closer, checking her daughter's reddening cheek. "You monster. How can you do this to innocent people?" “Innocent?” Serena

Damon’s car came to a sudden stop at the construction site entrance, followed immediately by Detective Morrison's vehicle and three patrol cars. Officers jumped out with their weapons drawn, flashlights cutting through the darkness. "Spread out and search the area," Morrison commanded. "They might still be here." Damon was already running toward the main building, his heart pounding. He burst through the doorway and swept his flashlight across the empty concrete space. "Celia!" he shouted. "Celia, are you here?" Nothing. The building was completely empty. But Damon could see signs that people had been here recently. Scuff marks on the floor, disturbed dust, and something that made his blood run cold—small drops of blood on the concrete. "Detective Morrison!" Damon called out. "There's blood here!" Morrison ran inside and examined the scene. "They were definitely here. But it looks like they left in a hurry." Another officer appeared at the doorway. "Detective, we found a car p